Two held for preaching 'armed revolution'Our Correspondent, Nilphamari

Police yesterday arrested two persons from a mosque in Nilphamari while they were preaching sermon "for an armed revolution to establish an Islamic state."

The arrestees are Monwar Khan, 40, and Saidur Rahman Sayeed, 27, both from Tangail district. They claimed themselves as preachers of Islam, said police.

Quoting locals, police said the two were asking the people to take part in an "armed revolution" for an Islamic state after juma prayers at a mosque at Sutipara in Dimla upazila.

Suspecting the two as militants, the musallis handed them over to the police.

Officer-in-Charge of Dimla Police Station Akhtar Hossain said the arrestees had first claimed themselves as members of an Islamic organisation, Hizbut Touhidin. But later they denied their involvement with any such organisation.

They however admitted that they were arrested from a mosque in Boda upazila in Panchagarh on December 22 last year with books and leaflets on Islamic revolution. They got released on bail on December 30.

"They are giving inconsistent information. We are interrogating them but it is yet to be confirmed if they are involved with any militant group," said the OC.

Akhtar also said the two will be showed arrested under section 54 of Criminal Procedure Code and the police will produce them before court today.